in tune [★] 500th

[Keona.]

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keona sibéal ní faoláin.
the typhoon.
the blind dealer.
information.

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[div style="max-width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #2a4971; text-align: left; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; font-size: 13px;"]Idir brí is idir muir, Tá mé i dtiúin

It was no secret the ocean called to Keona.  The dealer lingered there often.  Her paws would rest where the waves met the sand, sightless gaze fixed beyond.  Salt clinging to her fur.  Salt that never left her.  Born on the water, and by the water she remained.

Closer now.  With larger legs, came longer strides.  The waves took longer to reach her.  Submerging her stomach first.  Then chest.  The morning mist had already sank into her bones, but she didn't mind.  Her breath in tune with the rhythm of the water.  Perfectly at ease.

The memories of last time lingered in the edges of her mind.  Amidst the haze of the jungle juice.  Something she could grasp, just barely.  Hold onto long enough to know.  To remember.  It'd been the ocean where she'd changed.  From something small to... Well.  She still felt small.  Compared to the ocean.  The familiarity an anchor.

Like an anchor, she wondered how far down she could go.  Beneath the waves, the fae had never been.  So long as one did not count the sea dome.  Protective glass and an easy walk down.  No effort.

Swimming, she'd never done.  Not intentionally that was.  Fight the waves during the volcano's eruption, she'd done... And lost.  Little surprise.  She could manipulate the water, the waves, but only to a point.  Not strong enough to protect herself (or Salem) against such a powerful force of nature.  Even now, larger in form, the doubt lingered.

The ocean was not tamable.

Yet curiosity killed the cat.  Keona dared push out farther.  Until she couldn't stand.  Relieved the waves were gentle today.  But stubbornness would have promised defiance had they not been.  Satisfaction brought the cat back, after all.

She kept her breath steady.  Head over the water.  Found the effort surprisingly exhausting.  No wonder swimming was called an exercise.  But staying above was hardly enough for her.  It would never be enough.

The wolf pushed down instead of up, let the waves wash over her head.  Pulled the water around her, then away.  Maintaining her air.  Paws propelling downward until she couldn't go any further.  Blinking as she settled there.  Uncertain how deep she was.  Ten to twenty feet deep perhaps.

She shifted to let a crab scuttle by, bemused by how much smaller they seemed.  Sure one could snap her in half before.  Now they would fit in her paws.

Keona hummed softly.  One of her father's old sailing tunes running through her mind.  The ocean was hardly a peaceful place.  Any peace was a deception.  The waters could be harsh.  The life beneath varied in all kinds of manners.  Just as vibrantly alive as the surface.  Yet she found it oddly serene to simply linger.

It was far from silent.  The water swirling around her.  Movement of fish and other sea creatures whenever they swam close by.  But it felt right to her.  Like the steady patter of rain against the sky parlor on a rainy night.  Time she'd spend reading, tucked away from her crewmates.  From the noise.

With less direct contact from the sun on her fur, time felt more fragile.  Difficult to discern.  Uncertain.  More than hour...  A sigh leaving her chest.  The faint traces of a headache starting.  She could stay longer.  She could.

But she'd rather not be whenever the higher tides kicked in.  Keona shook her head, smiling idly at the heavier movement.  The ocean brought her back a wolf... Sometimes she wondered why not something more... Aquatic.  But she was a Faoláin.

Best test her swimming again sooner rather than later.  Kicked off with her back legs.  Pushing a little extra by manipulating the water.  Releasing her pocket of air and holding her breath until her head broke the surface.  Snorting out an accidental mouthful of salt water as she did her best to paddle back to the shore.  Her swimming needed more work.

On the sand, she shook off her fur, keenly aware the sun had reached the midway point.  Perhaps she'd overdone it.

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© MADI

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt; max-width: 65%; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]The ocean.

Once restricted to pages weathered by the passage of time, ceaseless and deemed unkind though theirs the fetter that it bore, a restraint that bore duel edge. Paled it, sure strokes crumbling away, dust against fine strands and flesh alike, marvelled at. A dream it, difficult to conceptualise, find a place for it among the threads of reality.

Lesson learnt, witness became. Still misunderstood it, bore the fit in his mind, grazing against the threshold of thought and away sliding without warning. Maybe it best that way, restless his search, wished the surface broken by that swallowed long ago. Better his grasp, knowledge sowed, if weak and patchy with holes filled by self made truths, his hope broken. Behind it lay, thought no more than a dream. Falsehood, a beacon almost, akin to the lighthouse that perched in lonesome solitude. Back always drawn, his own this choice, the sand carved away into suitable shelter.

Prone had he grown to idle movement, allowed muscle to propel him forth without thought to act as guide, where conclusion was staged a common destination. Easy to see why, caught the archipelago in an unbroken ring of brine, there always it in some fashion. Be it the sound, that hushed forward push and retreat, the conclusion of waves reaching forth foam tipped peaks only to come down once more, the chorus of life bore aloft on the breeze, or the scent, salt in each breath. This land simply part of it, a force as the vent that spewed irregular columns of smoke, the two that made this place together, nurtured those who walked this shoreline.

No surprise may thus be derived from the path he tread that quiet morning, a dark spectre wrapped in the dissipating lace of low hanging mist. Soon enough it would be gone, wake leaving droplets, dew bright as caught and reflected the light that revealed it, partial the illumination already. For now it clung, held him as sand was disturbed by each step, the next slide into with ease. Familiar now the terrain, how it moved, never still as soil packed beneath others, passage wiped away and undone the presence of others who walked it.

Not in whole. Eyes shifted, slow that turn, over looked fresh markers announcing another had come before. Unsurprising, activity seemed to begin when the sun rose, those faint hues of peach and rose enough to beckon forth the early risers. Not meant to follow yet such he did, curious now as to destination. A hub of activity, trivial often, more often gathered to enjoy conversation over any true work. Few, if any, would occupy at this hour, further fanned his curiosity, rarely indulged for fleeting it. Now it held, pushed him forth in this moment that seemed almost a dream, slow the swing of tail.

Nothing. Vision turning, inspecting.an absence was never absolute, always occupied a space even as it was deemed empty. How might it be empty when the sand was present, the brine slow and sure in creeping forth along sodden grains, retreating with a sound so like a sigh bearing disappointment. Upwards travelling, reduced to shapes awoken avians bore aloft on undercurrents, the stretch of wings carving out a space for them. No, not empty, simply stagnant, still as absence of a particular part was noted. Down once more, scoured the grains, sought hints.

There, the next before, a trail leading on. Sudden the end, found where the tide lapped at the edge, ruined that pressed into the outer reach, imperfect but still there. Head tilting, confusion light, contouring dark visage. Another merely indulging, this moments theirs. Yet nothing broke the surface, no silhouette that may speak of the presence that left in wake their progress, traced the shifting surface. A glimpse, dark shifting point, kept afloat by the water and the salt, buoyant by own decree. Sigh traced lips, fell from a gentle curl, lids brief in this close. Upon opening once more gone was it, that fleeting hint that ended his search, beneath the waves swallowed. There was no fear, nor notion that assistance may be necessary. Far had it been out, capable enough to handle the calm depths, a part of things, a factor of life for them all, the ocean that reached for yet never touched him.

Time slow in progress, moments coalescing, minutes untracked though felt in the subtle change. About scenery came into stark relief as the mist dissipated, the sun climbing, ever steady in an ascent that had been performed since the beginning. Over the surface his eyes moved, sought breach, a hint the suspected presence was alright. It never seemed to occur. Possibilities gathered, thoughts of coming ashore elsewhere, or mistaken the silhouette, no creature of the land but one adapted for the depths. Off the mark both, though partial the second in a way he could not parse as of yet, enough to at least partially quell his worry. Still was it there, built upon as time passed, irregular the invertals vision was averted from search and checked the position of the sun above his head.

Difficult to determine when began once more motion, restless the turn on heel, the back and forth staged before the tide. Lip caught, worried until it ached, back ears pressed. The possibility his inactivity may cause harm, bring about a premature end if he had been wrong within his assessment. Those few instances he approached something halted him before the brine may touch, beyond reach always, quiet the displeased murmur of withdraw. Basic his own skill with such, the calm tide beneath the veil of night a taste, terror incited though internal the cause. Still had close at hand been the security of solid ground, the distance enough to dash any thought that this may be the same.

On continued the drag, breath seeping between the clench of his teeth, shallow each replacement as chest tightened. It was not the breach, distance enough never heard the displacement as surface broke, nor the removal of fluid that clogged nostrils, rather each breath acted as suitable alert. Eyes turned, rested upon the approaching shape. Darkened by the moisture that streamed from slicked down coat a stranger all he perceived, smothered the jolt before recognition settled, her unexpected change explained to not cause any strife, words failing. The wish to reprimand lay against his tongue, old those words he had taken numerous times when idiocy guided him rather than thought, swallowed with difficulty. Wrong such approach, she was a dealer and he…

Thoughts trailed into an uneven break, mouth slow in working, strained the rasp of his voice. "I thought… You were down there for a long time. Are you okay, I can get a towel or something just… Why would you do that, what if you couldn't come back up." Mere sound did Harland devolve into, roughly rubbed away tears unshed. Known that their fall would not be seen but to explain, voice where his mind turned, difficult.

How might he speak of the rose garden where he had lost her, oblivious to the waves, those starving depths that had taken as those crimson blooms had. He could not, might never speak of how the matriarchs of their meagre family had been taken one after the other, his futile search, salt searing a throat raw as he cried over them.

[daniel]

Unlike Keona, the sea did not call to Danny. Maybe that was an interesting statement to make, given how he ended up in the Typhoon of all places, but it was also the sea that raged and announced his fate that stormy night he arrived cold and alone. Something like that made for very poor first impressions. He had since gotten on better terms with the waters, rest assured, but he still felt no pull to it. Somewhere else called to him distantly, and while he would not leave the Typhoon to venture out on his own and find where that was and why that was, it would not be the depths of the ocean.

He had been out doing...whatever it was that needed to be done, perhaps collect firewood for the hearth of the tavern, when he spotted Keona in the distance. Finding the Dealer by the water's edge was no surprise to him and he thought nothing of it. Continued on. He felt somewhat uncomfortable by her swimming out farther, even more so when her head was no longer visible above the waves, but still told himself the same. Did what was on his mind, completed his tasks. The nagging would not subside unless he had proof that there was nothing to be worried about, he knew himself well enough on that front, so it was decided that he would check the water after delivering the wood to be burned. It was a bit of a walk for some, and gave him plenty of time for Keona to reemerge. So he told himself, and when she was still not present upon his return, Danny did begin to worry. Immediately. The fear managed to banish the realization that Keona had elementals that she could use at will, and was perhaps well versed in using, but his nervous behavior was not always rational. Usually it was not at all rational.

He waited some more, just to be sure. Worked up the courage to ask around a tiny bit to make sure she hadn't exited the waves while he was gone and he just happened to miss her. Paced back and forth by the edge of the sea. Had she drowned? Had she been eaten alive by one of the terrifying creatures that lurked beneath? Danny waded out himself until the water rose to his shoulders, stuck his head beneath the surface and tried to peer downward. All he got was salt in his eyes and increased anxiety. A wave threatened to knock him over and into the water completely, and that was enough to scare him out of the water combined with everything else.

When the sun had reached the middle of the sky, Danny had given up his search. Miserable, fur sticking up in every direction and carrying a heavy scent of salt water, and bordering hyperventilation, his eyes were watery and burning far too much to focus. He was sure Keona was dead. She had been gone for far too long, and the last place he saw her was in the ocean. Of course, Keona was not dead, and the distinct sound of someone shaking off their fur was unmistakable. One half of his brain insisted her demise had been met, but the other would not rest until it was investigated, perhaps hope was a good enough label. Harland had beaten him to it this time, meeting Keo and verbalizing what they both were thinking, which he would not complain about in the slightest. Danny blinked, which was rather relieving when some of the salt was washed away, staring at Keo and yet, staring through her. He then, of course, did what any emotionally stable individual did when they were face to face with someone they thought would not be seen alive again.

Danny, albeit rather quietly as always, began to cry. Very mature.

[glow=black,2,300]— ❤ —[/glow]

[salem]

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♦ | SALEM

The ocean had grown into a steady and welcome presence, filled with connections to those Salem cared for.  Moons of dwelling among the Typhoon cemented it with the feeling of home.  His sister had always been wherever water could be found, nose deep within a book.  Keona always seemed to linger on the edges -- drawn in by the waves, but never going farther.

There, the small wildcat could linger himself.  Enjoy the salt spry and the gentle caress of water over his paws, but nothing more.  Content to sit and observe from the safety of the shore, unable to truly hide the fact his eyes often settled onto Keona before they ever drifted to the ocean -- something warm in his chest whenever she smiled.  She always smiled when close to the water and the color of her eyes seemed to capture those depths within.

Wherever Keona went, she carried the ocean with her -- in her eyes and the smell of her fur.  It felt like home to be near her.  Away, Salem found himself abuzz; even as he went about his day, he found his thoughts often lingered on her, with hopes that she was not overworking herself and inquiries on whether the traders had brought in any new braille books recently.

The latter inquiry had been resting in his mind, as vine-wrapped paws trotted over the sand.  The outline of a wolf in the water caught him off-guard, causing him to freeze still on the shore.  Something in him ached as he realized she had never gone so far before.  Somewhere he could not follow easily or safely.  A feeling that sank deeper into his stomach when she disappeared entirely, a sight that left him catching his breath.

The nature of the dive appeared intentional, yet the seeds of doubt planted without seconds to spare.  Of course, a wolf made for a better swimmer than a rusty spotted cat, but Keona doesn't swim.  Salem knew she had little to no practice in that regard, a pacing trail beginning to form. 

Of course, Keona had always been masterful in manipulating the water, but how long can she do that for?  He could break and move the earth, grow autumn plants, but it took effort -- do too much and he grew tired.  The vines curling around him seemed to tighten at the thought.  Had Keona overestimated her abilities and drowned?

Okay.  I'll just-- I'll just speak to the traders and come back. An unknowingly similar trajectory to another who worried.  Ears resting low against his skull, the kodkod turned from the water, to find the suppliers.  He glanced backwards constantly, unable to shake the feeling of time ticking past, until he forced himself to focus and speak.  They would have more braille books for them next time.

Inevitably, he returned to no sight.  The pacing was resumed immediately, a small moat beginning to form in the sand where he tread.  Dark eyes only raised at the sound of someone scrambling out of the water; only it had been Danny, lowering the kodkod's spirits further, as he watched in concern.  The thought of drowning lingered, heightened by the other youth's clash with the water.

No.  Salem refused.  Keona could not drown -- the sentiment on a desperate repeat like a broken record until he finally saw her.  Wading back onto the shore, drenched, but clearly alive and well enough to begin shaking the water off her fur.  No sign of injury either, as he took in her presence, seeming to memorize the sight of her.  A second more and Salem knew he may have done the same as Danny to disastrous effect -- he was much smaller than the wolf and ill-suited to the water.  Even so, he would rather drown himself than accept losing Keona.

The words were dead on his tongue, expressed best by Harland, even as Salem began to stumble forward.  At some point his breath had grown ragged.  He didn't stop moving until he reached her, head moving forward to gently impact her front leg and remain there.  The sound of Danny crying made the mist in his eyes heavier.  He had done his best to shake off the notion she'd been gone, but it would be a poor lie to claim grief nearly won.

Subconsciously, he manipulated the vines around his legs to curl around hers -- as though to keep her more anchored to the land.  "Please don't-" Don't go where I can't follow you.  "If you're... If you're going to do something like that... A word of- a word of warning... Might be.  Might be nice?"

When she left to do her ritual, she spoke to him about it first.  Had he worried too excessively that night?  Left her reluctant to tell him when she had plans like this?  They talked about most things, didn't they?  The last thing he wanted was to push her away.

I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat ♦  salem / faemor / crewmate

[roan ;]

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In a sharp contrast to everyone else that was currently present, Roan hadn't panicked or become distraught when Keona had begun to swim, nor when she had sunk below the waves. Hell, he hadn't even been all that worried when she hadn't come up for hours, knowing that his sister had elementals, and could handle herself in the ocean just fine. The only reason he had even stumbled across the whole scenario was because he had been out near the edge of the jungle, searching for herbs that liked to grow where the sand met the growth. Nearby, he heard the faint sound of water being splashed and displaced, and his blue gaze snapped over to where Keona was. He watched with curiosity as she swam out, before eventually deciding to dip her head beneath the water. He thought little of it, considering he had taken similar measures to "test" himself in the past. Of course, he didn't have water elementals, but he did have electricity and air ones, and he often spent his free time practicing with them, trying to make himself stronger. Both were a godsend in case of an emergency, and he would often find himself pushing and pushing until he could easily arc rather large strikes of electricity between his paws. He saw such training as natural, and simply figured Keona was doing something similar.

As the hours passed, Roan continued to spend much of his time searching for herbs, tail held high and mind occupied when he finally returned once more from the jungle. When he emerged from the trees, however, he was startled to see that a rather panicked looking group had begun to gather at the edge of the water. Danny was even crying, although that hardly did anything to cause Roan much worry – the canine would start sobbing if you pronounced his name wrong. The sight of Harland and Salem looking distressed was pretty intriguing, however. With a sigh, the soothsayer shifted his satchel back against his side, making his way over until he could hear what the others had to say. As soon as he grew close enough, the siamese paused, an unimpressed expression coming to his face. That was why they all looked so distraught and upset? Because Keona had been under the sea for a while? He didn't hesitate to speak up, sitting down nearby and letting his tail settle over his dark paws, "What are you all so up in arms about? I know at least you know that she has water elementals, Salem. Sobbing over her testing herself is hardly necessary..." That last bit was mostly directed at Danny, Roan squinting slightly as he looked the wolf over once more.

Turning his attention back to Keona herself, Roan dipped his head in the dealer's direction. There was a slightly proud smile on his face as he spoke up once more, "I must say, nice job Keona. Your abilities are becoming especially impressive – you stayed under the entire time I was out picking herbs." For the most part, he didn't really think too much about Salem's panic, or closeness to Keo. Even if his sister was oblivious to the other's feelings, Roan was hardly an idiot. He could see how much Salem cared about her from a mile away, and he had been keeping an eye on the other for quite a while now. Despite Keona technically being the older of the two of them, she had always had a slightly more naive and oblivious nature to her, something that was far more calming and comforting than Roan's more cynical outward persona. In fact, most would probably guess she was the medic at first glance, rather than him. Needless to say, this meant that if Salem made one wrong move, he'd have more to worry about than just Keona testing her water elementals. Namely, he'd have to worry about an Eastern dragon grabbing him and chucking him as far into the ocean as he could manage. The thought was almost enough to make the medic snort, although he refrained for the moment – he didn't want to totally embarrass the anxiety filled crowd around him.

[align=right][sup][sup]template © tikki[/sup][/sup]

[Keona.]

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keona sibéal ní faoláin.
the typhoon.
the blind dealer.
information.

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[div style="max-width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #2a4971; text-align: left; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; font-size: 13px;"]Idir brí is idir muir, Tá mé i dtiúin

Off-guard.  Not a common state of mind for the dealer.  To find herself startled was rare.  Only truly growing in happenstance due to her current adjustment as a wolf; rarely in response to a clanmate. 

Yet Keona found herself blinking slow.  Caught by a strange feeling.  Not quite guilt, considering she hardly felt... She had been perfectly safe.  Most of her clanmates knew about her abilities.  Yet something in Harland's voice reminded her of her father, Kian.  Took her back to her days as a kit.

Had it been someone else... Any other tone, she might've been put off.  Offended.  Fully capable of taking care of herself.  Had been curious.  Hardly even testing her limits.  Came up earlier than necessary.  Didn't want to waste a whole day away to a personal curiosity.  Now she wondered if her father would be in a similar state of concern.  He probably would've gone in after me. Wouldn't have waited past an hour or two.

And it wouldn't be out of... A distrust or disregard to her skills.  No.  Her father knew her.  Watched her grow up.  It was him she inherited those abilities from.  In the end, it would have simply been because he was a father.  Out of care.

Any word of assurance she may have gathered slipped her mind.  Stuck to her tongue when her ears caught the soft start of Danny's sobs.  Truly startled now, Keona felt her stomach twist.  Sensitive.  Danny had always been terribly sensitive.  Emotions close to the surface.  So unlike the fae yet she had grown fond of him regardless.  Proud as he grew.  The same sort of pride she felt in Roan.  "Danny..."  Seas.

The calm distance she often maintained with others... Felt cracked.  Splintering more as she felt Salem's head rest against her leg.  The close proximity not... Unusual between the two.  Salem had been an exception to her preference of physical space for many moons.  Yet it carried something more heavy with it this time.  And she remembered the horrible desperation, in her drugged mind, frantically swimming for him before she woke as a wolf.  It wasn't a feeling she'd wish on him.

Salem knew better than everyone of her connection to the ocean.  Had known her the longest.  Sat with her on the shore countless nights.  He had been with her when the volcano erupted and the two got swept away.  She couldn't fight the ocean then.  Couldn't keep them both afloat.  He knew.  He knew she had limits.

And while Roan arrived to voice the most stubborn thoughts in her mind, Keona could hardly muster annoyance or irritation.  Much less against Danny's tears.  Sightless hues flickering.  She had spent her entire life making sure no one worried about her.  She wasn't sure how she managed to pull in an entire trio like this.

"I was..." Goodness.  It was always the same with her.  The same exact reason she had given howling a try.  "Curious."  Likely not the most reassuring fact to the worried trio, but it told Roan the purpose of her little 'practice'.  Not really a test, despite the impressive length of time, no.  She just wanted to know what it was like.  Sitting beneath the waves.

Softly, she continued to speak to the three.  "I would not have gone under, if I couldn't come back up."  Steady.  A promise. "I'm okay.  I did not mean to worry you."

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© MADI

[daniel]

The sobbing was accidental of course, about instinctual as the response he gave Keona when she was testing her howling skills. Reeling it back in was normally a pain, a chore in itself, but for one reason or another, the blessing and curse of Roan’s appearance was able to flick the necessary switch to shut everything off. Sort of, everything that was internal stayed where it was, he just wasn’t making any new tears to add to the collection drying on his face. He rubbed his face aggressively at the Soothsayer’s words, trying to at least look like he wasn’t crying like a frightened child, despite the damage being done. All he managed to do of course was further mess up the fur around his face.

”I kept thinking something got her. Or she, uh, yknow....d...drowned.” Danny mumbled, shuddering at the final word, wondering if the secondary emotion beneath the panic was embarrassment. Constantly on the verge of emotional outbursts like that wasn’t very fun, see. He frowned, lip quivering still but refused to cry any more than he already had. The concern about being reprimanded was too great. On the other hand, Keona’s words offered necessary comfort, easing the worry somewhat. ”I’m sorry, I’m fine, I’m okay now.” Not entirely, but he wasn’t going to admit to being overly panicked after he had already displayed his inner fears. Besides, vocalizing that again in greater detail only served to cause more crying.

[glow=black,2,300]— ❤ —[/glow]